BUILD AN ARK TODAY

Yo! Check that keyboard. A..S…D…F. Ha! Don’t mind me. I’m so pumped up to write this blog post.

Welcome to Spoken Voiceless if you’re coming here for the first time. This is Blog Post monthly for this month (Can you believe half of the year has gone!) So Today I’m going to be talking of something different. Not Relationship advice or Nigeria activism but something seemingly so simple but going more extinct in today’s world – Kindness.

I’m sure most of you are wondering what Kindness has to do with an ARK. Some of you must have already imagined that Noah was kind enough to let animals on the ark (lmao!) What I actually mean by Ark today is a sort of abbreviation:

Act of Random Kindness

An Ark is simply an act of random kindness. We live in a dangerous time. A perilous generation. For those of us born in the 90’s we were born into this Generation Z or the I-Gen and while we are technologically advanced and more exposed than our parents were at our age, technology has also brought a lot of barriers and mishaps like modern warfare. People are dying everywhere around the world and kindness as a human act seems to have gone almost extinct.

But on a seemingly less scale of destruction, I-Gen has also led to what I want to term “Closeness yet distanced”. We live in a time where our phone screens which promise a world of our own which we can build and scatter and reconstruct at any time, have isolated us from each other. This is a time where father, mother and children or friends can sit together but say no word to each other because everybody is refreshing one feed or the other – Facebook, twitter, etc. This makes us less aware of the world around us and the people around us such that little acts of kindness are hard to come by.

But the world has never needed kindness like now.

Technology and other factors has led to an increased number of depressed teenagers and adults. Led to massive destruction and displacement like what happened just about a week ago in my home Plateau state. Led to dejection and rejection which leads to depression again and eventually suicide (body shaming and trolling came with the internet didn’t they?).

This is the time when people need your kindness more. Somebody needs just a smile to keep them going. Others just need someone to talk to. Some need just a hug. Some need material assistance. Everybody is in need of some kindness.

A friend was telling me two days ago of how she paid transport fare for two elderly woman she didn’t know but felt needed help in a keke napep and her description of their smiles was priceless. I have experienced this before and I tell you there is no greater satisfaction than when you help somebody from your heart.

I want to urge everyone reading this. Tomorrow and every day after step out and tell yourself to do just ONE act of random kindness. Help an elderly person clear the road or do some chores. Help your family members. Pay an unsuspecting persons transport. Go to an IDP camp and take relief materials and then just get a ball and play with the children. Help a friend do a chore. And that way the world will be better.

I love the song “Where is the love” by Black Eyed Peas and “We Are the World” 25 for Haiti.

Nobody is going to make the world better for us.

For my people here in Jos plateau state. The displaced persons need you. There is so much anger and rage in them and they are in need. They don’t know you. But be kind and take yourself there. Take whatever you have no matter how small. Don’t focus on taking pictures (although you should to encourage others). Sit with them. Listen to how they feel. And Pray with them. This kindness would go a long way.

And as a wise man once said,

“You have never really lived till you do something for someone who can’t repay you”

Noah was called to build a physical ARK. We are called to do Acts of Random Kindness.

Thank you for reading and see you next month!